30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 11 33-36 Light of our world Light of our world 12
📖 Luke 11:33-36
*Sin against God* _Luke 11:36_
How are we, as the church of Jesus, going to respond? This is our question, for we are called to be the light of our world and very importantly in the matter of sexuality.
God’s will for us is our sanctification. This requires us to understand that we simply do not have the option to say, “I feel the urge to commit this kind of sexual expression and I must have the sanction to do so.” *Any form of sexual expression outside of the boundary of marriage, which is between one man (male) and his one wife (female), is immoral*.
Each of us must know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honour _I Thessalonians 4:3-4._ The way to seize control over our bodies, is given to us, so that we have no excuse, whatsoever.
When we come to Jesus, we are baptised with Him into His death. This is why Jesus died on the cross, so that we identify ourselves with Him in His death _II Corinthians 5:15._ Just as Jesus was buried, we too are buried with Him, which is the meaning behind the experience of Baptism. Our old man/nature/feelings/sexual orientations are buried with Him in Baptism and we rise with Jesus as a new man, by faith, through His grace.
We now can walk in the newness of the resurrected Jesus, since we identified ourselves with Him in His death, burial and now in His resurrection. The body of sin has been done away with. This is the fact that we must stand on, by faith. Satan, will come around and trouble us saying, “This particular attraction/feeling/experience/expression/lust/sin is something you love, give room to it. Don’t deny yourself of this pleasure.” But we can rise above this temptation because of what Jesus has done for us and has provided for us.
When we died, we are freed from the problem of sin _Colossians 3:3._ We now present our bodies as instruments of righteousness to God. God begins to work out His righteousness from within us because we now operate under a new law, the law of Holy Spirit of life in Christ Jesus _Romans 8:2-4/6:3-13._
Let us now look at the practical outworking of this principle in the life of Joseph. Joseph was sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites and they in turn sold him to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. Joseph did well in the house of Potiphar and Potiphar left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread, which he ate. Joseph must have been in his early twenties, at this time and was handsome in form and appearance.
It so happened that Potiphar’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." This lady was determined to have Joseph. She had gone crazy over Joseph and wanted to have him anyhow. She offered her body in order to manipulate and get Joseph. Joseph was a young man and he surely had all the sexual urges and arousals that any young man has. Joseph could have given in to his bodily urges and rationalised, for Joseph had many options. The whole matter of now beeing the head of the house of Potiphar could have gone to Joseph’s head but praise God Joseph refused the woman _Genesis 39:6-9._
The explanation that Joseph gives the lady is remarkable. His elucidation stands on one foundation, “sin against God". This is where all of us must finally stand. Our life, stands before God. We need to give an account of ourselves to Him. No one can escape His final judgment _II Corinthians 5:10._
*Thought to ponder*
```How simpler it would be if we were to always live in the fear of God?```